"But in the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything false about hope."
-Barack Obama

Wednesday, April 04, 2007

Food Coma

Sorry, y'all. Posting has been light due to food and music and cartoons. In that order. Let me explain:

You see, on Saturday night, the Dangerous One was kind enough to host the New Orleans Geek Dinner III, where I got to meet (in person) many of the NOLA bloggers. There was some volume of wine at this dinner, but that was nothing compared to the sheer metric tonnage of food. Compliments may understate the experience to my 'back east' readership, so I am forced to explain through analogy: The only place I have seen more quality potluck style grub was the Auburn v UGA 2005 Tailgate to End All Tailgates in Athens, Georgia. Those of you who know what that weekend was like don't need any more explanation. Those of you who don't, we'll just say that the Geek Dinner III fits in this boy's lexicon solidly in the "legendary" category, in a Hi-Fidelity Top Fives-style list. Demsome cats who can cook who'n cook round heah, and I've been around the buffet enough times to know.

It was an absolute pleasure to finally meet and speak with many of the NOLA bloggers I have read so much from in the past months. I was introduced to so many people that to call it a blur would be an understatement, but I retained more than I thought I would. Being able to put faces and voices to so many folks that I read about on a pretty much daily basis is surreal in a way I never, ever imagined.

Some things I learned:

From Leigh: There is a strange cult-like commercial experience amongst the married and child-having population that is called Ikea. I have heard tell of this phenomena before from friends and family in the past. It apparently has something to do with sacred catalogs and annual pilgrimages to Atlanta or Houston. As a single male of the species who fears domestication, I now fear this "Ikea."

From G-Bitch: If young children ran the United Nations, the world would be in better shape. Though I more likely than not follow a wildly different thought process on this subject matter, I am in unanimous agreement with the conclusion.

From Ashley: Pneumonia sucks really, really bad. But not even that can keep a man from rocking a kick ass bowling shirt at a party.

From Morwen: Surfing is an transcendental experience for folks of all demographics.

From Sophmom: It is difficult to explain New Orleans to folks back east, even if you live there.

From Maitri: If at-risk kids can set up their own myspace pages, then they have the technological competence to go further - into civilian media and civic involvement. The rub is getting them to buy into a worldview that looks past tomorrow and cast a net beyond their own circle of myspace friends.

From Dangerblond: All other discussion stops when the cool chicks start talking about fuzzy handcuffs. I'm strangely comfortable with that.

Roundups and mentions here, here,here, here,and here. I'm sure there are others elsewhere that I have not yet read. Who needs society pages, really?

I thoroughly enjoyed your company, too, coozan. I'll have to bring by some Hasidic Jewish reggae from Matisyahu so you can REALLY tick off the waitresses. Until then, here's hoping you have no need to pick up particle board shelves from an Ikea in Hicksville.